How to Thrive in the Age of the Sexist Paradox

What the Harvard Menamp8217s Soccer Team Billy Bush and a few infamous agency executives don39t want us to forget is that amp8220locker room talkamp8221 perpetuates Women can aspire to great heights but a genderfair meritocracy is for now an illusionamp160 Until the Mad Menera double standard is disrupted women will remain tokens objects and boxes to be checked on an agency diversity manifest regardless of our potential or what we may achieveFortunately there are a few noteworthy CMOs disrupting advertisingbusinessasusualamp160 These men and women are advocating for equality with their ad spend they are deliberately creating account service models wherein women and minorities are given a fair shot In some cases they are demanding it amp160If you want to thrive in our business these are the clients you want to work with And if thatamp8217s not possible push for your agency to embrace the new standards these visionaries are establishingBradley Jakeman The president of Pepsi Beverages was the first and most vocal supporter of diversity famously shaking up the ANA last year with a cri de coeur for more women and minorities on his business both on his brand teams and within his agencies Jakeman was an early proponent of the insight that more relevant ideas would come from creatives who represent the consumer and that means womenAntonio Lucio As the CMO of HP has said amp822050 of my marketing leaders are women and itamp8217s not because they are women they are kickass marketersamp8221 But the asskicking starts with Lucio He was one of the first clients to demand that his agencies break the whiteguy model as a term and condition for working on his brandRoger Adams Insurance giant USAAamp8217s top marketer had a swift notolerance response to the sexist and racist agency shenanigans of Campbell Ewald put the account in review and demanded a diversity plan as a criteria for the pitch In the end the business went to another agency notorious for sexism but the impact of the move is still reverberating amp160amp160Ann Simonds The CMO of General Mills put her business in review and made it clear that only agencies with a gender and minorityfair diversity plan need apply The significance of the requirements was groundbreaking amp8220It feels like a firstamp8221 she said amp8220I think itamp8217s rare and it is importantamp8221Diego Scotti The third billiondollar advertiser to make a public demand for more women and minorities serving their accounts Joining HP and General Mills Verizonamp8217s CMO gave his eleven agencies a month to come up with an action plan to increase women and minorities on his businessMarc Pritchard Arguably the most powerful CMO in the world Pritchard has not set specific goals quotas or penalties for the plethora of agencies who work on his many brands However no organization has been more publicly supportive of creativity and diversity in both programs and campaigns and his commitment is evident in the brand voice across many PampampG propertiesWhile just a sliver of our industry these six marketing executives represent more than 20 billion in ad spend amp8211 aka agency billings amp160They are championing the talents of women and minorities and theyamp8217re making sure their money is influencing agency practices if not attitudes amp160As a result advertisingamp8217s women will thrive and our entire industry will change for the better It mustAs was proclaimed at the 3 Conference for agency gender diversity amp8220In a few years letamp8217s hope thereamp8217s no longer a reason to have this conferenceamp8221Click the social buttons above or below to share this content with your friends and colleaguesThe opinions and points of view expressed in this article are exclusively the views of the author andor subjects and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillagecomMyersBizNet Inc management or associated bloggersamp160amp160amp160Click the social buttons above or below to share this story with your friends and colleaguesThe opinions and points of view expressed in this article are exclusively the views of the author andor subjects and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillagecomMyersBizNet Inc management or associated bloggers

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